Last week, the Syracuse fanbase was challenged by the SU administration to make a difference against Pittsburgh. Head coach Scott Shafer said the fans delivered on that challenge a week later against Boston College.

"Loved the crowd, love Syracuse, love the crowd," Shafer said. "All you media people criticize the ones that don't show up but you need to give the ones that do show up credit. That's what I'd like to say first and foremost."

The final announced attendance of 37,406 lifted Syracuse above last season's final numbers and measured as SU's third-largest crowd of the season and one of its loudest.

Although fans were, as usual, late-arriving, most stayed until the finish. For the season, Syracuse averaged 38,277 announced fans per game.

The Dome appeared to be just a little over half-full with the crowd engaged throughout churning out the best "Let's Go Orange" chants of the year.

"I credit our fans for helping us win that game today," Shafer said. "When it got down to crunch time that thing got loud out there and that helped us win the game."